In many data centers, information technology (IT) resources such as processors and memory are bound to specific business functions and cannot be easily reallocated as new requirements are imposed or business climates change. Overall central processing unit (CPU) utilization of less than 30% in a data center is common as an administrator may provision resources to handle peak workloads. If resources can be dynamically migrated to workloads according to usage rather than by static assignment, IT administrators can attain better utilization of IT hardware. Utilization can translate directly to profitability. Available hardware can be reassigned to follow business requirements.
Server virtualization technologies can be used to enable an IT environment to evolve in response to business needs. A virtual server environment can be implemented to support system partitioning, availability, utility pricing, and resource management, enhancing the dynamic capabilities of a server environment.